1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for providing an access to an adapter, and in particular to a method and system for providing an application access to an adapter located in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for providing multiple applications access to multiple adapters in a multitasking environment within a data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multimedia, the presentation or transfer of information through more than one medium at any time, is a fast growing segment of the computer industry with many applications being developed incorporating various features of multimedia. Additionally, many businesses are utilizing multimedia to present information to consumers. For example, video rental stores may desire to present previews of movies to customers in the store. Previews of movies may be stored in digital format for play back to customers. In multimedia presentations involving the previewing of movies, it is desirable to have the capability to present these previews to as many people as possible. Multiple preview stations utilizing a monitor or remote television may be utilized to provide numerous previews.
Although multimedia presentations may be desirable, the costs of providing multiple preview stations may not be cost effective when each single preview station requires its own data processing system to present a preview. In such a situation, multiple preview stations driven by a single data processing system may be utilized to provide multiple previews to reduce overall system costs.
Many of the presently available multimedia applications, however, do not provide the ability to drive more than one preview station at a time in a multitasking mode. For example, the audio-video software kernel ("AVK") produced through a joint development effort between International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM") Intel Corporation ("Intel"), and the IBM PS/2 ActionMedia II Display Adapter/A ("ActionMedia II") may be utilized in a data processing system such as an IBM PS/2 Ultimedia Model M57 SLC ("Ultimedia") computer to provide real time video presentations at a presentation station. PS/2 is a registered trademark of IBM and ActionMedia is a trademark of Intel. The AVK provides interfaces utilized by an application to access various adapters and perform various function. The AVK, however, is unable to drive multiple preview stations in a multitasking mode. In other words, two applications are unable to provide real time digital video presentations at two different preview stations utilizing two ActionMedia II boards at the same time. Currently, each preview station must have an Ultimedia computer to provide previews.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and system for providing applications executing concurrently in a data processing system access to multiple adapters.